If you’re like me, you’ll find these totally fascinating!!
Old Jewish Cemetery, Prague
The Old Jewish
Cemetery lies in the Josefoy which is the Jewish Quarter or Prague in
the Czech Republic and it was in use from the early 15th century with
Avigdor Kara’s tombstone dating back to 1439 until 1787. The numbers
of grave stones and numbers of people buried there are uncertain,
because there are layers upon layers of tombs. However, it has been
estimated that there are approximately 12,000 tombstones presently
visible, and there may be as many as 100,000 burials in all. Not
surprising, it is said that this cemetery is teaming with paranormal
activity with many claiming to have seen aborritions moving through the
tightly compacted tombstones.
Les Catacombes, Paris
The Catacombs
of Paris is an underground ossuary in Paris, France located south of the
former city gate and holds the remains of about six million people.
Due to it’s peculiar decoration many ghosts and strange paranormal
encounters are said to occur here on a regular basis. These range from
spectral lights appearing in videos to ghostly orbs, ecto mists and
sometimes even shadow specters walking the corridors and moving among
the piles of bones. You definitely don’t want to be in this place alone.
Saint Louis #1, New Orleans
Saint Louis #1
is the oldest of three Catholic Cemeteries in New Orleans, Louisiana
which has a history of ghost stories. One of their most active
paranormal sites is the Saint Louis #1 Cemetery which hosts one of the
most notorious tombs of all time; that of Marie Laveau also known as
“Grande Voodoo Queen”. Many of the locals believe that her spirit haunts
the graveyard and any and all individuals who try to disrupt her sleep
by trying to awaken her. Now who in their right mind would want to
“awaken” a voodoo queen…or anybody else for that matter?
La Recoleta, Buenos Aires
The Recoleta
Cemetery is located in the Recoleta neighborhood in Buenos Aires,
Argentina and is one of the main tourist attractions in that
neighborhood due to its outstanding display of nineteenth- and
twentieth-century funerary art and architecture. Of course this cemetery
also has its fare share of ghost stories and paranormal activity
ranging from a ghostly night watchman who took his own life at the
cemetery to a spectral lady dubbed the “The Lady In White” who frequents
the tombs at night.
Valley of the Kings, Cairo, Egypt
The Valley of
the Kings houses Tutankhamen’s grave and its believed to come with a
curse as almost all who participated in the opening of the grave
mysteriously died a few years after. Some scientists hold the deadly
molds from the tombs maybe the cause but others believe it is the
Egyptian curse for disrupting the tomb of the dead. Personally, Id
rather not find out.
Capuchin Crypt, Rome, Italy
4000 Capuchin
Franciscan friars are housed in this crypt boasting of an intricate
floor to ceiling arrangement of human bones paired with the crypt’s soil
which is supposedly from Jerusalem. Various bones are utilized in
different chapels. For instance, there is a chapel called “Crypt of the
Pelvises” and another one, “Crypt of the Skulls”. If that’s not enough
to freak you out, there is a solemn reminder underneath a child’s Grim
Reaper that states “What You Are We Once Were Too And What We Are Now,
You Will Be”. Can anything be creepier?
Bachelor’s Grove, Chicago, USA
Known for being
one of the most haunted sites in the United States the Bachelor’s Grove
Chicago cemetery was opened in 1844. The claims of hauntings peaked in
the 1970s and 1980s and ranged from reported phenomenons such as weird
orbs to phantom vehicles. There are even rumors of a ghostly
farmhouse which is said to terrorize its victims by floating towards its
victims then vanishing into thin air. As late as 1984 witnesses also
reported seeing multiple ghostly figures emerging throughout the
cemetery dressed in monk’s robes. And if that’s not enough, in the 1990s
witnesses reported seeing a black dog at the cemetery’s entrance which
also disappeared when they attempted to approach it.
Cimitero di San Michele, Venice, Italy
After
Napoleons’s decree prohibited the burial of bodies in Venice, the
cemetery was set up in the 19th century on the island of San Michele.
Special gondolas deliver remains to the island where they are buried on
a 10 year lease. Needless to say, a whole island given over to the
dead is sure to attract some attention from paranormal buffs and
Cimitero di San Michele is no exception. Tales of ghostly encounters
have been recorded, however no single entity has been labeled.
Nevertheless, for a site dedicated to the dead, its only natural that
ghostly convolution reign supreme.
Ganges River, Varanasi, India
Due to its
proximity to the Ganges, Varanasi is one of the Hindus’ holiest cities
in India. The river stands for spiritual health and purification. Being
cremated on the banks of the river is a great honor. Thousand of corpses
are burned on floating pyres annually and the remains are left to be
swallowed up by the river. Thus, the Ganges is ripe with bacteria and
largely polluted. Unbelievably though, Varanasi people play, bathe, and
wash their clothes here. The burning dead’s acceptance into the daily
lives of the people is as fascinating as it is eerie.
Highgate Cemetery, London, England
This Victorian
era cemetery spans 37 acres of London’s overgrown woodland. It sports
spectacular statues of people, animals as well as angels, in different
states of decay. The Highgate Cemetery highlights the obsession of the
Victorian era with ancient Egyptians, perhaps due to the fascination of
both cultures with death. The cemetery’s main walkway is aptly called
Egyptian Avenue and has a couple of foreboding obelisks. The original
Dracula author Bram Stoker is said to have been inspired by the ambient
creepiness of the Highgate Cemetery while he was writing.
Greyfriars Kirkyard, Edinburgh, Scotland
This former
monastery garden was established in the 1560s and it is considered to be
Scotland’s most haunted place. Its paranormal activity has
been attributed to the restless spirit of the infamous ‘Bluidy’ George
Mackenzie who was buried here in 1691. The ‘Mackenzie Poltergeist’ is a
violent specter that is said to cause bruising, bites and cuts on those
who come into contact with it. Many visitors who take the ghost tour
have reported feeling strange sensations and have reportedly sustained
injuries which they had no recollection of sustaining.
Glasnevin Cemetery, Dublin, Ireland
Glasnevin
Cemetery houses 1.5 million bodies. This 120 acre graveyard is haunted
by a Newfoundland dog. It is said that John McNeill Boyd’s faithful
canine died from starving as it refused to leave it’s owner’s graveside.
Wow, man’s best friend for life…and death.
Howard Street Cemetery, Salem, Massachusetts
Salem is
assumed to be the USA’s most haunted town, thanks to its history of
witch hunting. In 1692, one popular resident, Giles Corey died from
torture at the site because he refused to admit guilt or innocence
regarding witchcraft. However, it is said that with his last breath, he
put a curse on the town. Legend has it that Corey appeared days prior to
the 1914 Great Fire. Today people claim to still see his ghost walk
among the graves.
Stull Cemetery, Stull, Kansas
Also called the
“Gates to Hell,” this grave site is among the Seven Portals of Hell
listed by numerous haunting guides and is among America’s most haunted
places. Legend states that if you knock on a rock in the church’s rubble
pile, the Devil will answer you.
Capela dos Ossos, Portugal
Literally
meaning “Chapel of Bones”, this Portuguese chapel houses two full
skeletons that hang on chains in addition to skulls and human bones
cemented to its walls. If that isn’t creepy enough, you can also read an
inscription at the chapel’s entrance which reads “We bones, lying here
bare, are awaiting yours”…um, no thank you.
Resurrection Cemetery, Chicago, USA
The suburbs of
Chicago are home to Resurrection Cemetery. What makes this cemetery
popular is the infamous ghost named Mary, a young girl who was locally
christened Resurrection Mary. As the story goes, truckers and other
drivers report picking up a young female hitchhiker who is usually
dressed somewhat formally in a white party dress and is said to have
light blond hair and blue eyes. When the driver nears the Resurrection
Cemetery, the young woman asks to be let out, whereupon she disappears
into the cemetery.
Witches Cemetery, Tennessee, USA
It maybe one of
the lesser known US cemeteries but this Tennessee backwoods graveyard
is among the state’s oldest. Weathered jagged stones mark the dead’s
resting place. Peculiarly, there are pentagrams etched into the stone
grave markers which are said to contain the witch’s evil powers. There
are also numerous claims about strange lights in the woods at night with
others claiming to find animals that have been sacrificed in rituals on
the graveyard’s grounds.
La Noria Cemetery, Chile
La Noria is an
abandoned mining town with a gruesome history revolving around forced
labor and slavery abuse. The grave yard features an incredible sight –
that of open graves and exposed bones. Eyewitnesses have reported that
when the sun goes down, the dead rise from their graves and begin
walking toward the abandoned mining town. Locals of Chile have also
reported seeing children inside the abandoned schools as if they where
attending class. The TV show called ‘Destination Truth’ was supposedly
able to capture some evidence when lead investigator Josh Gates
captured what appeared to be an apparition on a FLIR thermal imager.
The image looks like the heat signature of a young child looking from
around the corner and disappearing.
Sedlec Ossuary Near Kutna Hora, Czech Republic
The Sedlec
Ossuary is a small Roman Catholic chapel located beneath the Cemetery
Church of All Saints in Sedlec, Czech Republic. This ossuary is
estimated to contain the skeletons of anywhere between 40,000 and 70,000
people whose bones have been used to create decorations and furnishings
for the chapel. It goes without saying that people claim this place is
haunted. The irony however, is that in spite of the residents bones
being used as decorations, the ghosts are supposedly not angry.
According to locals, the ghosts are actually jovial and pranksters who
like a good joke.
Chamula Cemetery, San Juan Chamula, Mexico
Although the
place was intended to be a Catholic church in the 1960s, the priest
coming from the neighboring village will only perform a mass once or
twice a month for baptisms leaving this area free for local shamans to
use and dispense “magic potions”. Chicken sacrifices are often done as
part of healing ceremonies in this cemetery. Word of caution: stay
away from sacrificed chickens!
Cemetery Café, Ahmedabad, India
Tourists eating
at the New Lucky Restaurant in the western city of Ahmedabad, India are
sure to get the shock of a lifetime when they encounter the ancient
Muslim graves scattered about the premises. If you plan to visit this
restaurant, I hope you have a strong stomach.
Gladiator Graveyard, Ephesus, Turkey
The Gladiator
Graveyard site is located in Ephesus, Turkey and containes the mixed
remains of about 67 individuals, all of whom where under the age of 30.
The gladiators who fought here were the professional athletes of ancient
Roman times and they would battle each other, wild animals, or even
condemned criminals for the amusement of the masses. Surprisingly no
real mention of paranormal activity has been recorded, but when you
think about who is buried here, the place retains it’s creepiness
factor.
The Merry Graveyard, Sapanta, Romania
This cemetery
is freaky due to the fact that the creator, local carpenter and
woodcarver Stan Ioan Patras during the 1930′s decided to carve a
picture of the dead person. The carving showed how they died and then a
short poem would be written about the person in order to create a happy
and colorful work. Nevertheless the memories of the Depression, World
War II, and the Communist Regime made the graves and stories of the
people sad to look at.
Suicide and Banzai Cliffs, Saipan, Japan
Banzai Cliffs
is where a historical tragedy took place during WWII when Americans took
over Saipan. Thousands of Japanese civilians, including mothers and
children, leaped to their deaths at the command of Emperor Hirohito who
stated that no Japanese must be captured by the Americans or they will
no longer be recognized as Japanese.
Okuno-in Cemetery, Mt. Koya, Japan
Okuno is a
sacred village near 120 Buddhist temples whose cemetery houses a creepy
legend. Kobo Daishi, the founder of Shingon Buddhism is said to be
resting here and according to the legend will be reborn along with his
followers. It doesn’t help ease the mood considering that numerous
little statues resemble Jizo, a sweet-faced child monk, and are often
wearing children’s clothing like bibs and caps that are placed by
parents who are grieving for their dead children.
